History

The original town of Lincoln, in Lewis and Clark County, was a bustling placer gold mining camp during the mid- to late 1860s. It was located in Lincoln Gulch about three miles west of the present town-site. By the early 1870s, the gold had played out and the miners left, but settlement had started in Lincoln. The first building erected in the new community was a log structure known as the “Half-Way House Hotel.” It was used as a temporary living quarters, later becoming an overnight boarding house for tourists.

In 1918, Leonard Lambkin moved from Great Falls, purchased the Hotel, and established Camp Lincoln in the Rockies, an early dude ranch. In 1925, tourist cabins were built on the property and the community was advertised as a prime vacation area for hunting and fishing.

The area was also one of artist Charlie Russell’s favorite places. In 1928, Lambkin erected a two story lodge adjacent to the original hotel. The existing building is 40’ by 90’ and had 22 rooms with one bathroom on each floor. Since then the Hotel has undergone many changes, including the addition of bathrooms and showers in each room. The number of rooms was reduced from the original 22 to 14 to accommodate the update in 1999.